Storm’s spark in early innings not enough for playoff win over Spartans
ELMIRA – Coming into the game as 14-seed, Unadilla Valley/Gilbertsville-Mount Upton opened up a 2-0 lead after the first inning against the Thomas A. Edison Spartans. After a back and forth game over the next five innings, the Spartans held a one run lead until a big sixth inning allowed them to extend their lead to 9-5.
That ended up being the final between the two teams in Thursday’s opening round of the Section IV Class C, ending the Storm’s season.
“We played really well for four innings,” said Matt Osborne, UV/GMU head coach. “In the bottom of the fifth, we had our three errors and we couldn’t overcome them.”
The Storm scored two in their first at-bats of the game. Kyler Butts started the offensive inning off by reaching the base paths after the Spartans’ catcher interfered with his swing, awarding him first base.
Butts scored later in the inning for the first run of the contest, crossing home plate on Gavin Bonczkowski’s hard ground ball to right.
Also scoring on the same hit of Bonczkowski’s was Cameron Osborne, coming in from second after his base hit single earlier in the inning and Drew Emrich’s walk moving him into scoring position.
The Spartans grabbed the lead for the first time when they scored three runs in two at-bats, one being scored on a wild pitch.
Thomas A. Edison added an additional run in fourth inning, increasing the margin to two runs over the Storm.
UV/GMU responded in the top of the fifth, getting one of the runs back after Andrew Meyers came across the plate on Andrew Jackson’s ground ball single up the middle. Meyers was the lead-off batter for the inning, drawing a walk in six pitches of his at-bat. He then stole both second and third, leaving him 90-feet away from home plate when Jackson rocked a grounder back to the pitcher.
Jackson hustled down the line and was called safe, giving the Storm another base runner in the inning, but he was thrown out on his attempt to steal second.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans tacked on another run with the three errors by the UV/GMU defense to extend the lead to two again.
Yet again, the Storm came rolling back to produce another run in the top of the sixth to cut into the Spartans’ lead. Using the three miscues by Thomas Edison’s defense, Emrich scored to make the score 5-4.
Emrich hit a hard ground ball down the third baseline, making it a hard play on the ball for the Spartans’ third baseman. On the throw to get the UV/GMU runner out, the first baseman couldn’t come away with the scoop and the ball went into foul territory. Heads up base running by Emrich allowed him to advance to second, setting him up for the scoring opportunity.
Bonczkowski then sent the second pitch of his at-bat on the ground to the shortstop. The ball that was hit hard on the ground, was unable to be fielded cleanly by the Spartans player and Emrich scored with his speed from second.
However, it was the last run for the Storm and the bats got going for Thomas Edison as they put together a rally of five hits and one walk for the four-run sixth inning.
Attempting to continue the back and forth game and a comeback, the Storm’s Jackson drew a walk but that was the only production by the team in the top of the seventh, ending the game.
Xavier Burch got the start on the mound for the Spartans, throwing six innings with 15 strike outs and allowing five hits by the Storm batters.
Osborne finished with two hits in four trips to the plate while Bonczkowski also collected two hits and added two RBIs to his statline. Butts and Jackson each had a hit in the loss and Jackson recorded an RBI.
“I am proud of the team for making the first sectional tournament in five years,” said Coach Osborne. “I wish the best of luck to our three seniors and their future endeavors.”
UV/GMU ends their season at an overall record of 5-8.
Thomas A. Edison 9, Unadilla Valley/Gilberstville-Mount Upton 4
UV/GMU 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 – 4 5 3
TAE 0 0 3 1 1 4 0 – 9 10 4
Xavier Burch (W), Tom Kane (7) and Mike Mowchan. Colin Grant (L), Cameron Osborne (5) and Tim Postma.
2B: (TAE) Logan Peters, Xavier Burch, John Tryon.
That ended up being the final between the two teams in Thursday’s opening round of the Section IV Class C, ending the Storm’s season.
“We played really well for four innings,” said Matt Osborne, UV/GMU head coach. “In the bottom of the fifth, we had our three errors and we couldn’t overcome them.”
The Storm scored two in their first at-bats of the game. Kyler Butts started the offensive inning off by reaching the base paths after the Spartans’ catcher interfered with his swing, awarding him first base.
Butts scored later in the inning for the first run of the contest, crossing home plate on Gavin Bonczkowski’s hard ground ball to right.
Also scoring on the same hit of Bonczkowski’s was Cameron Osborne, coming in from second after his base hit single earlier in the inning and Drew Emrich’s walk moving him into scoring position.
The Spartans grabbed the lead for the first time when they scored three runs in two at-bats, one being scored on a wild pitch.
Thomas A. Edison added an additional run in fourth inning, increasing the margin to two runs over the Storm.
UV/GMU responded in the top of the fifth, getting one of the runs back after Andrew Meyers came across the plate on Andrew Jackson’s ground ball single up the middle. Meyers was the lead-off batter for the inning, drawing a walk in six pitches of his at-bat. He then stole both second and third, leaving him 90-feet away from home plate when Jackson rocked a grounder back to the pitcher.
Jackson hustled down the line and was called safe, giving the Storm another base runner in the inning, but he was thrown out on his attempt to steal second.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans tacked on another run with the three errors by the UV/GMU defense to extend the lead to two again.
Yet again, the Storm came rolling back to produce another run in the top of the sixth to cut into the Spartans’ lead. Using the three miscues by Thomas Edison’s defense, Emrich scored to make the score 5-4.
Emrich hit a hard ground ball down the third baseline, making it a hard play on the ball for the Spartans’ third baseman. On the throw to get the UV/GMU runner out, the first baseman couldn’t come away with the scoop and the ball went into foul territory. Heads up base running by Emrich allowed him to advance to second, setting him up for the scoring opportunity.
Bonczkowski then sent the second pitch of his at-bat on the ground to the shortstop. The ball that was hit hard on the ground, was unable to be fielded cleanly by the Spartans player and Emrich scored with his speed from second.
However, it was the last run for the Storm and the bats got going for Thomas Edison as they put together a rally of five hits and one walk for the four-run sixth inning.
Attempting to continue the back and forth game and a comeback, the Storm’s Jackson drew a walk but that was the only production by the team in the top of the seventh, ending the game.
Xavier Burch got the start on the mound for the Spartans, throwing six innings with 15 strike outs and allowing five hits by the Storm batters.
Osborne finished with two hits in four trips to the plate while Bonczkowski also collected two hits and added two RBIs to his statline. Butts and Jackson each had a hit in the loss and Jackson recorded an RBI.
“I am proud of the team for making the first sectional tournament in five years,” said Coach Osborne. “I wish the best of luck to our three seniors and their future endeavors.”
UV/GMU ends their season at an overall record of 5-8.
Thomas A. Edison 9, Unadilla Valley/Gilberstville-Mount Upton 4
UV/GMU 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 – 4 5 3
TAE 0 0 3 1 1 4 0 – 9 10 4
Xavier Burch (W), Tom Kane (7) and Mike Mowchan. Colin Grant (L), Cameron Osborne (5) and Tim Postma.
2B: (TAE) Logan Peters, Xavier Burch, John Tryon.
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